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I’m Bob Larson. The only constant in the Fruit Growing business these days, is change. That’s the message from the Produce Marketing Association’s George Szczepanski who says changes are happening rapidly at every step along the supply chain…

GEORGE SZCZEPANSKI … “One of the big ways we see this exemplified is from how much of consumer’s consumption of food in general, not limited just to produce and to fruit, is consumed through snacking. And it shows a real opportunity for fruit producers because fruit is very easily translated into snacking. Recent research published in 2015 shows that fruit is the number two option for snacking after candy. So this is an opportunity for us to leverage the convenient grab-n-go nature of fruit as a use for that meal part.”

Szczepanski says in recent years, technology is playing an even greater role in what consumers buy and where they buy it …

GEORGE SZCZEPANSKI … “It’s certainly true in this case where the abundance of information and the influence of social media have had an impact on consumer demand, especially with millennials, where their desire for instant information about company’s attributes and how they source products and what’s in product can be a driver for their purchasing habits.”

He says parents of young children are also buying fresh fruit in greater numbers.

Listen tomorrow for more on the opportunities in Social Media in the distribution and convenience markets.